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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bulb · lean · swing · game · mate · press · pass · wake

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. press — a publisher
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. lean — thin
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wake — a trail
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — a match
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. lean — to bend
  15. mate — a partner
  16. game — wild animals
  17. swing — in golf
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. swing — to play on
  20. swing — music
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. press — to push
  23. press — newspapers
  24. wake — before a funeral

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com